Never mind - hotel is in a great location very close to Sol and Mayor and the major arty things. It's also well-equipped room and the staff are friendly. The other difference I've found is that fewer people speak English here so I am struggling a bit and having to resort to the Google translator app. I am very embarrassed, and unfortunately it results in my carefully-rehearsed speech coming out as total gibberish. My French is masterful in comparison, though no doubt this time next week I will be berating Parisians for having no patience with me.
Another bonus is that behind Atocha is the Plaza del Angel area, which is a warren of little streets with lovely restaurants and bars - it's very buzzy and provides me places to eat within walking distance of the hotel
With some notable exceptions though, I'm finding poorer service. I also had a bit of a shock yesterday in the Munch exhibition at the Thyssen foundation when I received a very sharp poke between the shoulder blades from a young female museum "guard", because I went to take a picture of something I shouldn't - a genuine mistake which a gentle hand on the shoulder would've prevented just as well. (And of course I'd seen other people doing it who didn't get the same hostile treatment.)
However, I'm liking Madrid a lot though think I'd probably be inclined to return when I had someone to share the nightlife with, and I'd also need to be less knackered to enjoy it. Doing 29000 steps yesterday (apparently that's about 22km) meant that by 9pm I really had to drag myself around to find dinner, and then had to choose somewhere in a hurry that turned out to be pricey and very carniverous! (though charming waiters)
I'd started the day by taking a walking tour from Plaza Mayor with a very lively guide who seemed to have a really comprehensive historical understanding of the city, but was a bit too fond of the sound of his own voice (actually that's the case with all the Sandeman's tours I've done - they do try very hard to entertain and that's fine but sometimes a more understated delivery would be nice!)
I had a veggie lunch at a restaurant in a square in La Latina. There was a fantastic mariachi band doing the rounds of the area - they were so joyous and made a fabulous noise. I then walked and walked - saw the Don Quixote statue among other notable buildings and squares, and made the mistake of going down Calle Mayor, Madrid's version of Oxford Street - many of the shops were the same too!
I'd finished the day by getting a free first viewing of Picasso's Guernica at the Museo Reina Sofia which is an amazing place. A really good thing about Madrid is that you can get in here and the Praedo museum for free later in the day. Guernica is amazing - there is so much movement in it as well as the savagery - and as I couldn't take a photo I bought a fridge magnet instead.
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| Man Ray's Indestrucible Object with the eye of Lee Miller |
Two months on from writing this I've realised I didn't finish Madrid properly. On the Sunday, I remember going to the market at Rastro and buying a few presents, and then went for a walk in the lovely Parque del el Retiro and saw the "crystal palace" and the fountains at Monumento Alfonso. I also went to the Caixa Forum cultural centre where I saw this amazing living wall next to it.
and back to the Museo Reina Sofia to take another look at Guernica and a closer look at the things I'd only scanned the day before because I was a bit cultured out! I seem to remember a disappointing dinner with a sniffy waiter which was a shame as a finale.
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